Matthew 1 Devotional Bible Study
Who?
As you read through the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17 (and yes, you should read it), what names do you recognize?
There are people whom we remember fondly from the Old Testament as being strong in the faith - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth and Boaz, King David, and King Josiah.
Then there are people who are a little more infamous - Tamar (who tricked her father-in-law into impregnating her by pretending to be a prostitute), Rahab the prostitute (who actually was a prostitute and betrayed her native city of Jericho), and Bathsheba (named here only as the woman formerly known as Uriah's wife).
And, of course, you know about Eliakim in verse 13, right? (Not to be confused with Eliud in verses 14-15.)
Oh, you've never heard of Eliakim or Eliud? That's because the Bible never tells us anything about them other than their names. You see, the genealogy of Jesus shows us that God can use anyone to accomplish His purposes. To bring about the birth of Jesus, God used the famous faithful, the infamous, and the unknown, otherwise important people down through the generations.
Fortunately, you and I will probably not be counted among the famous faithful (who wants the pressure of being famous anyway?), or the infamous (yes, we sin, but no one is writing stories about us). Instead, we will gladly be counted among the unimportant in the grand scheme of things. The gladly unimportant whom God gladly uses.
He used Eliakim and Eliud to help bring the Savior into the world! How can God use you, oh, ye of little importance?
The Women
Besides Jesus' male ancestors, Matthew also names five females. What do we know about these women?
Tamar (Matthew 1:3) was a Canaanite woman who was married to one of Judah's sons. God put that son to death because he was wicked. Tamar was then married to Judah's second son to raise up a family for the son who had died. This second son didn't want to be the source of a child who wouldn't legally be his, so he had sex with Tamar but wouldn't impregnate her. God put him to death for his wickedness. Judah was afraid to let his third son marry Tamar, so he sent her away. She then disguised herself as a prostitute, with a veil over her face, and enticed Judah to sleep with her and give her offspring (Genesis 38).
Rahab (Matthew 1:5) was a Canaanite prostitute who agreed to hide the Israelite spies when they were scouting Jericho for an attack. She made them promise to spare her and her family members when they returned (Joshua 2, 6).
Ruth (Matthew 1:5) was a Moabite who married an Israelite. She then converted to worshipping the God of Israel and took care of her mother-in-law after her husband died. Boaz, an Israelite, married Ruth and had children for his dead relative, Ruth's first husband (Book of Ruth).
Uriah's wife (Matthew 1:6) was an Israelite named Bathsheba. King David saw her bathing and sent for her to come to have sex with him. He then tried to cover up his sin by having Uriah, one of his soldiers, killed in battle (2 Samuel 11-12).
Mary (Matthew 1:16) was an Israelite who would have been defamed for having a child not by her husband, Joseph. Many would not believe that she became pregnant miraculously.
What can we conclude from Matthew mentioning these women in the genealogy of the Anointed One?
The salvation Jesus brings is for all people, Israelites and non-Israelites, sinners and the obedient.
Anointed One(s)
1. In Matthew 1:1, Jesus is introduced as the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), both of which means Anointed One. What does it mean to be anointed?
In the Old Testament, people would pour oil on (anoint) things or persons set aside for God's use. It's interesting to see what was anointed in relation to Jesus' mission and identity.
Exodus 28:41 - After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
Exodus 29:36 - Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it.
1 Samuel 10:1 - Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?
The priest, the altar, and the king are all anointed. This points to Jesus as our priest, sacrifice, and king.
In Matthew 1:1, Jesus is identified as the descendant of both Abraham and David before providing the full list of his ancestors. Why are these two men called out as being so significant?
Genesis 12:3 - God tells Abram, later named Abraham, "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
2 Samuel 7:16 - God tells David, "Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever."
The Anointed One being the descendant of Abraham and David fulfills God's promise to them. Jesus will be the blessing that was to come through Abraham and the everlasting king that was to come through David.
We are called Christians, which means "little Christs," or "little Anointed Ones," so in what ways are we anointed?
Like Jesus, we serve as priests, uniting people with God. God has made us part of Jesus' royal family, so we carry out the work of the Kingdom of God. We sacrifice ourselves to God and to others by serving them.
If we are Christians, we are Little Anointed Ones, chosen by God to
serve as His priests in the world. Pray and ask God who He wants you to
connect to Him this week.
God's Timing
In Matthew 1:17, we read that there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Exile, and fourteen from the Exile to the coming of the Anointed One. What is the significance of pointing out this structure of time?
Galatians 4:4-5 - But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Revelation 13:8 - the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
1 Peter 1:20 - He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
God has always known and planned when the Anointed One was to come. The structure of the fourteen generations between these major events in Israel's history shows us God's timing.
Contradiction?
Comparing the genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3, we notice some differences in Jesus' ancestry through Joseph. How can we explain this?
The oldest explanation is that Matthew follows Jesus' biological ancestors, while Luke follows His legal ancestors. Like Judah's sons were supposed to have children for their deceased brother, some of Joseph's other ancestors did the same for their relatives. For example, Jacob was Joseph's biological father, but Heli was his legal father (would have been his father had he not died before being able to become a father).
Like Adopted Father, Like Adopted Son
Matthew 1:19
Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
This is one of my favorite verses in Scripture. Joseph has just found out that Mary, his fiancé, is pregnant. Not believing her story of "No, really, Joseph, God miraculously made me pregnant," he can only feel betrayed, hurt, disappointed, and angry.
But he's also merciful. He doesn't want to call her out to public disgrace or punishment. He has every right to do so, both legally and morally, but he knows that if he makes a scene about breaking off the engagement, Mary will live in disgrace. Under Old Testament Law, she could have been stoned for having sex before marriage (since no one else would believe her virgin birth story either), but because the Romans were ruling Israel, the Jews were not allowed to administer the death penalty. Instead, Mary would get off "easy" by being a public outcast, a woman that no respectable Israelite would associate with, much less agree to marry.
So Joseph is graceful in minimizing Mary's disgrace by breaking off the engagement quietly.
But then, after the angel appears to him, Joseph agrees to go through with the engagement. What would this have meant for him?
It means that (again, because not many people would believe their story about how Mary got pregnant) most people would assume that Joseph had sex with Mary before their wedding. Now, instead of Mary living in disgrace, Joseph would be. He would take Mary's disgrace on himself and bear the brunt of their supposed indiscretion publicly.
And isn't that what Jesus did? He grew up to take our disgrace on Himself when He bore the guilt of our sins on the cross.
I can't help but wonder if Jesus didn't remember seeing Joseph taking the shame for his family as He grew up . I can't help but wonder if God didn't place Jesus in Joseph's hands to look up to and learn the lesson of sacrificing for someone else.
How is God wanting to use Joseph's example to inspire you to take someone else's disgrace on yourself? What sacrifices can you make personally to help lift the burden of shame or guilt from someone else?
Verse 19 says that Joseph was a righteous man but did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, so he planned to divorce her quietly. How was his decision motivated both by righteousness and grace?
Joseph showed his righteousness in breaking off his relationship with Mary. Her sin would have a consequence. But he showed grace in keeping the matter as quiet as possible and so sparing Mary humiliation.
How can we show righteousness and grace when someone sins against us?
We can confront them about their sin and enforce any boundaries or consequences we feel are necessary. We should not act as if the offense did not occur. But we should also be ready to forgive the person who offended us and not badmouth them to others.
3. After Joseph decided to end his engagement with Mary, an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him to do the opposite. Have you ever had God correct your course?
Jesus = "God Saves"
In verse 21, we read that Jesus, which means “God saves,” will save His people from their sins. What does it mean for Jesus to save us from our sins?
Jesus not only saves us from going to Hell as the consequence for our sins but He gives us the power not to sin anymore.
Romans 6:15-22 - What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
Fulfilling Prophecy - Twice?
Matthew notes that Jesus’ birth fulfills the prophecy by Isaiah.
Isaiah 7:13-17 - Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”
What is this prophecy by Isaiah referring to?
The prophet is saying that a young, unmarried woman will marry and have a child. When that child is still young, the king of Assyria will come to defeat Judah’s enemies. Note: This prophecy was fulfilled.
If this is what the prophecy means and has already been fulfilled, how can Matthew apply the prophecy to the birth of Jesus?
God’s prophecies often apply twice, with the second fulfillment having a deeper meaning in Jesus. In Isaiah’s day, a female virgin married and had a child. In Jesus, an actual virgin gave birth to the Anointed One. In Isaiah’s day, this prophecy signaled that Israel would be saved from her enemies. In Jesus, the prophecy signals that people would be saved from their sins. In Isaiah’s day, the prophecy showed that God was with Judah. In Jesus, God actually walked among His people in the person of Jesus.
We’ll see more double fulfillments of prophecy as we read through the Gospels.
Respecting the Holy
In verse 25, we read that Joseph did not have sex with Mary until she gave birth to Jesus. Why did Joseph wait to have sex with his wife?
Joseph knew that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God. The baby she was carrying was holy. He refrained from normal human activity to show respect for Jesus’ holiness.
How can we show respect for the holy?
We need to recognize God’s Presence and God’s activity in the world. When we see God at work, we need to stop what we’re doing and let God work, or join Him in His work.
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